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LEARNWELL — An Initiative of Healthy CPS ADDITIONAL RESOURCES 108 ii. Nutrition: Have a mix of activities and exhibits that teach the community about proper diet, cutting down fat and reading food labels. Some ideas include having an interactive Sugar Awareness table where student and adults guess how much sugar is in popular drinks and snacks. Nearby, host a healthy snack table that showcases easy and fun recipes for healthy eating. Teachers and students from different grade levels can take turns staffing different tables. Work with your school dining manager to utilize produce that is being served in your school’s cafeteria to highlight the healthy foods kids are eating! Provide samples. 4. Contact health screening vendors. a. Determine the number and type of vendors your location can accommodate to increase access to health screenings. b. Maintain communication with vendors during the entire planning process with telephone calls and emails. Make sure to send a written email outlining everything that was agreed upon at the start, send a reminder a few days before the event and a thank-you note after the event. Here are some organizations that have participated in local health fairs: ·· The American Heart Association ·· The National Alzheimer’s Association ·· The American Cancer Society ·· The American Diabetes Association ·· Chicago Health Corps ·· Consortium to Lower Obesity in Chicago Children (CLOCC) ·· The Center for Disease Control ·· Chicago Department of Public Health ·· Illinois Department of Health Services ·· Local Initiatives Support Corporation of Chicago (LISC/Chicago) ·· University of Illinois Extension Program ·· Curves ·· Loyola University Chicago ·· Athletico Vendors that provide free health screenings in Chicago: ·· CVS Pharmacy ·· Walgreens Pharmacy ·· American Kidney Fund ·· Chicago Department of Public Health and partner health clinics ·· Action for Healthy Kids ·· Cook County Health Department ·· Chicago Christian Center Mobile Clinic ·· Mobile clinics can be great for wellness fairs. Search for local Chicago mobile health clinics for dentistry, immunizations or other needs. Plus! Many local hospitals and universities may be willing to offer their services and resources. 5. Create the action and staffing plan for the Wellness Fair and effectively communicate it to all. a. Plan to accommodate the needs of your community partners and health screening vendors. Will your partners need any supplies, access to an outlet or have special requests? Make sure to ask them what they will need the day of the event. b. Create a staffing and volunteer plan for the day of the wellness fair. Always keep the school principal informed about the plan. Responsibilities to be delegated include designating a main contact for partners, another for vendors, and another for volunteers; providing refreshments in the morning or afternoon; setting up; cleaning up; giving out event bags; and distributing and
LEARNWELL — An Initiative of Healthy CPS ADDITIONAL RESOURCES 109 collecting evaluation forms. Designate volunteers evenly throughout the space to make sure any questions are answered and challenges are solved. 6. Spread the word! Promote the wellness fair a. Use your preferred method of communication with parents and community members to promote the wellness fair. Include information about the time, location, and what health services will be offered. Post details about the wellness fair in the school newsletter and get in touch with local news outlets to publicize on the radio or newspaper. 7. Finalize logistical efforts, including those related to: a. Send out a confirmation to vendors and partners. Make sure to include directions and parking information, and where to check-in when they arrive at the event. Confirm donations and material delivery options (i.e. where to unload on the day of the event or where to ship). b. Confirm the room set-up and materials, including vendor display/table layout, event bags, signs, trash cans, reserved parking, time the room is accessible to volunteers and other tasks. c. Confirm that A/V equipment is set up, if needed. This can include a podium, microphone, and audio visual equipment. 8. Create an evaluation for wellness fair participants. a. First decide on the purpose of the evaluation (i.e., what should be learned from the evaluation), and confirm that an evaluation is necessary. b. Second, create a plan for distributing and collecting surveys from wellness fair participants. c. Lastly, gather survey results and share with your team, discussing implications for next year. 9. Have fun at the wellness fair! a. Smile. The day has finally arrived and all the school’s hard work has come to fruition. Make sure to enjoy the fair and remember it’s about improving school and community wellness. 10. Say thank you a. Be sure to send out thank you notes to all those that made the wellness fair possible. A simple note goes a long way, especially if the school does an annual fair. Helpful Hints: ·· Start planning early, and form the planning committee a year in advance. ·· Pay attention to small details, including those related to trash cans, water locations, electrical outlets, smoke alarms, lost and found items, and name tags. ·· Have a backup plan for last-minute vendor cancellations or no-shows. Always have a co-chair on the planning committee, and plan knowing you will probably lose some members of the committee during the planning process. ·· If this is your first health fair, pay special attention to getting the word out about it in your community. Vendors and organizations that participate rely on having people with whom they can interact. Poor attendance should be avoided as much as possible. · · Prepare a binder of vendors, evaluation forms, timelines for each planning step, sample letters, publicity materials and lessons learned to help with future planning efforts.
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